Formula 1: Bahrain starting lineup – Lewis Hamilton takes pole
By Asher Fair
Lewis Hamilton took the pole position for the 15th race of the 2020 Formula 1 season, the Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit.
Following a qualifying session full of surprises for the Turkish Grand Prix at Intercity Istanbul Park two weeks ago, Bahrain International Circuit provided a far more normal qualifying session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the antepenultimate race of the 17-race 2020 Formula 1 season.
Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas locked out the front row, with Hamilton securing his 10th pole position of the season and 13th front row start and Bottas securing his 12th front row start.
Hamilton took the pole position for this 57-lap race around the 15-turn, 3.363-mile (5.412-kilometer) road course in Sakhir, Bahrain by recording a track record lap time of 87.264 seconds (138.738 miles per hour) in the third and final round of qualifying for this race. This pole position is the 98th of his career, adding to his all-time record.
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Red Bull teammates Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon are set to share the second row in third and fourth place, respectively, marking yet another race to feature Hamilton, Bottas and Verstappen in the top three.
Racing Point’s Sergio Perez qualified in fifth place and is set to start alongside Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo in sixth. Renault’s Esteban Ocon qualified in seventh and is set to start alongside AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly in eighth.
McLaren’s Lando Norris and AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat were the slowest two drivers among the 10 who advanced to the third and final round of qualifying, and they are set to start in ninth and 10th place, respectively.
Eliminated after the second round of qualifying were Ferrari teammates Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, Racing Point’s Lance Stroll, Williams’ George Russell and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr.. They qualified in 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th place, respectively.
Much like the usual trio swept the top three, the usual quintet were eliminated after the first round of qualifying.
Alfa Romeo teammates Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen qualified in 16th and 17th place, respectively, while Haas teammates Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean qualified in 18th and 19th, respectively, and Williams rookie Nicholas Latifi qualified in 20th.
By outqualifying Latifi for the 15th time through 15 races this season, Russell is now 36 for 36 throughout his career in terms of outqualifying his teammates.
Here is the full starting lineup for the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit.
Starting Lineup
1st – Lewis Hamilton
2nd – Valtteri Bottas
3rd – Max Verstappen
4th – Alexander Albon
5th – Sergio Perez
6th – Daniel Ricciardo
7th – Esteban Ocon
8th – Pierre Gasly
9th – Lando Norris
10th – Daniil Kvyat
11th – Sebastian Vettel
12th – Charles Leclerc
13th – Lance Stroll
14th – George Russell
15th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
16th – Antonio Giovinazzi
17th – Kimi Raikkonen
18th – Kevin Magnussen
19th – Romain Grosjean
20th – Nicholas Latifi
The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live from Intercity Istanbul Park on ESPN beginning at 9:10 a.m. ET tomorrow morning.